Ukrainian cuisine is built around soup. From the ruby-red borscht to the tangy rassolnik, Ukrainian soups are warming, deeply flavourful, and — as it turns out — surprisingly well-suited to healthy eating.
Why Ukrainian soups are great for weight loss
Most Ukrainian soups are vegetable-forward, high in fibre, and naturally low in calories. Unlike the cream-heavy soups of Western European cuisine, the Ukrainian tradition favours clarity: a deep stock enriched with vegetables, a little meat or legume for protein, and fresh herbs at the end.
The result is food that is genuinely satisfying — without the calorie load.
10 soups to know
1. Light Summer Borscht (210 kcal)
The most famous Ukrainian soup, made lighter. The key is using a vegetable stock base and going easy on the potato. Topped with a small spoon of sour cream and fresh dill.
2. Rassolnik (195 kcal)
A pickle-forward barley soup with kidney beans. The brine from pickles gives it an extraordinary savory depth that feels indulgent but isn’t.
3. Solyanka (280 kcal)
A rich, slightly spicy mixed meat soup with olives, capers, and lemon. Originally a feast dish, made lighter here with chicken and no added fat.
4. Kapustnyak (175 kcal)
Sauerkraut soup with buckwheat. The fermented cabbage provides probiotics; the buckwheat makes it filling. An underrated gem.
5. Potato and Dill Soup (190 kcal)
Deceptively simple. A good stock, good potatoes, and a generous hand with fresh dill. Ready in 20 minutes.
6. Bean and Smoked Paprika Soup (260 kcal)
White beans slow-cooked with smoked paprika and tomato. Plant-based protein at its most comforting.
7. Mushroom and Barley (220 kcal)
Wild mushrooms give this soup an almost meaty depth. Pearl barley provides slow-releasing carbohydrates.
8. Cold Kefir Soup / Okroshka (180 kcal)
Served cold in summer — a kefir or kvass base with cucumber, radish, spring onion, and hard-boiled egg. Unusual but refreshing.
9. Lentil and Carrot Soup (245 kcal)
Red lentils melt into a silky purée. Finished with a small swirl of kefir and fresh coriander.
10. Green Borscht / Sorrel Soup (165 kcal)
Made with sorrel instead of beetroot — brightly sour, spring-fresh, and very quick to make.
The calorie breakdown at a glance
| Soup | Calories | Protein | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Borscht | 210 kcal | 8g | 9g |
| Rassolnik | 195 kcal | 11g | 7g |
| Solyanka | 280 kcal | 24g | 4g |
| Kapustnyak | 175 kcal | 7g | 8g |
| Potato & Dill | 190 kcal | 5g | 6g |
What makes them filling despite the low calories?
Three things:
- High water content — soup is volume eating done right
- Fibre from vegetables and legumes — slows gastric emptying
- Hot temperature — eating hot food tends to slow consumption pace
The result: soups score very highly on satiety-per-calorie measures. A 250kcal bowl of borscht keeps you full significantly longer than a 250kcal sandwich.